


Rumbelle Sweeter Than Cotton Candy

by lisa5972



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-10-05 13:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisa5972/pseuds/lisa5972
Summary: Collection of sickly sweet one shots of Rumplestiltskin and Belle, occasionally other OUAT characters. Lots of fluff.





	1. In which Belle tries to make Rumple laugh

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first try at one shots so hopefully you guys like it! Please leave any suggestions/requests in the comments or give a kudos if you enjoy! Thank you for reading!  
> EDIT: I have now created a tumblr blog for my writing so if any of you would like to be updated/make requests, you can follow my tumblr @lisa5972ao3!

_1\. In which Belle tries to make Rumple laugh_

Rumplestitlskin was always secretly glad to have Belle help in his shop from time to time. While she would normally spend her time in the library, Belle often came to the antiques shop on quiet days when no one was terribly bothered with checking out a book. Rumple scoffed at the idea that he needed any help but nonetheless allowed Belle to rummage around the shop and take care of the items. Other times they would sit in comfortable silence and read whatever they pleased.

Recently, Belle had discovered the wonders of the Internet thanks to a certain twelve-year-old. She was thoroughly amazed by its researching capabilities and enjoyed reading about the history of this world without magic. However, possibly her favorite aspect of the computer was the endless supply of funny videos. Whether it be animals, cartoons, or simply people making fools out of themselves, Belle could often be found giggling to herself after watching them.

Belle knew that Rumple was certainly not the most expressive person in the world, which made her quest to find something to make him laugh even more difficult. She tried everything, from dogs tearing up their owner’s furniture to people failing to ice-skate, even showing him cartoons that Henry had recommended. Nothing. Not even a grin.

“I don’t understand, what’s so funny? That person will obviously have to buy more pillows because their mongrel destroyed them” Rumple argued. Belle shook her head in disbelief. Despite trying to explain that he did not need to examine the video under a microscope for it to be amusing, he simply did not get it.

After many failed attempts, Belle began to think that nothing could make this man laugh. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that she finally got her answer.

Belle had closed the library for the day to meet Rumple for dinner at Granny’s. When she entered the shop however, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Rumple? Are you here?” She called out. She heard something coming from the backroom and walked towards it. Opening the curtain, she found Rumple looking at the computer. She was about to ask if he was ready when she realized he was watching something. And laughing! Creeping up behind him, Belle saw he was watching some compilation of “dog fail” videos. She tapped him on the shoulder and he startled a bit before realizing who it was.

“Oh, um, hello sweetheart.” He coughs to cover a laugh “I’ll just get my coat”. Belle grins at him.

“You weren’t watching some of those videos I showed you, were you?” Rumple shakes his head.

“Certainly not.” Belle raises her eyebrows and picks up the computer and hits play. A dog jumps on his owner in the pool. She giggles herself and looks back at Rumple.

“You know it’s alright to laugh? It looks good on you” Belle reaches out for his hand. Taking it, he smiles and nods. Moving to sit down again, he nods towards the computer.

“Maybe we could watch some more before we go?” He asks sweetly. Belle smiles lovingly at him and brings him close for a kiss.

“Of course darling.”


	2. In which Belle and Rumple critique films

_2\. In which Belle and Rumple critique films_

Since the curse broke, an innumerable number of crises have arisen. The return of memories and arrival of magic into Storybrooke seem to have agitated the sleepy balance that had existed for twenty-eight years previously. Despite this, one couple in particular were determined to maintain a sense of normalcy and domesticity.

Having spent very little time in this land without magic, Belle was unaccustomed to some of the modern technologies and entertainments it had to offer. Rumplestiltskin was determined to bring Belle up to speed with them. Thus, movie night was born.

Whether it be a comedy, a documentary, an animation, or an action movie, they watched nearly all of them. Their list ranged from Finding Nemo to The King’s Speech to Star Wars.

Whenever the town around them became too much to deal with, they would mutually agree to go home, microwave some popcorn, and watch the latest movie to grace their list. Belle was often the one to commentate a movie as Rumple had seen most of them, but he would occasionally point out a filming mistake or complain of the main character’s incompetence.

“Why would he try to fight a mountain troll, he’s eleven years old.” Rumple grumbled during their watching of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. “He barely even uses magic, just knocked it out with its own club.” Belle rolls her eyes and sighs.

“Can we please watch the movie without you critiquing the magic in it every five seconds?” Rumple raises an eyebrow at her.

“Dearie you do recall the fact that I am the Dark One and have used magic for the last three hundred years, don’t you? That spell was so simple David Nolan could have performed it.”

“Really? I had quite forgotten that. Although that Dumbledore fellow seems to be a pretty impressive wizard, doesn’t he?” Belle smirks at him.

“And what is it about Dumbledore that enamors you so?” Belle pretends to ponder for a moment.

“Something about an old wizard in eccentric clothing really does it for me” Rumple smiles softly at her.

“Is that so? What about this old wizard in a suit?” Belle leans over to give him a kiss on the cheek and rests her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry Rumple. You’ll always be my favorite wizard.”


	3. In which Rumple and Neal discuss Belle

_3\. In which Rumple and Neal discuss Belle_

To say the least, it was quite the shock when Neal learned that his father had a girlfriend. Rumplestiltskin certainly did not fit the mold of doting boyfriend and yet there he was. There was no doubt that Belle was a beautiful woman with a fiery spirit and strong will. Perhaps that is what drew the couple together.

Neal remembered his childhood with his mother and father. It was less than ideal. Milah detested her husband and blamed most of their problems due to his status of the village coward. She would often go down to the docks to drink and flirt with seamen, leaving Rumple to take care of their child. Rumple tried desperately to please his wife and convince her that their life was not as terrible as it seemed. When she left Rumple became a single parent who tried to do the best he could for his son, even when he acquired the curse.

While Neal and his father still had many unresolved issues and feelings between them, they worked towards talking about them and moving past them. Neal figured that one way to find out how his father was committed to becoming a better man would be to understand his relationship with Belle.

Rumple was quite a private person and often avoided subjects that showed his emotions. This made the process of getting information as to how he and Belle fell in love very difficult.

Despite this, Neal could see how much his father loved Belle. Little things such as holding hands or loving glances or terms of endearment that Rumple willingly gave to her. Belle was just as besotted with him. Eventually Neal could not restrain himself and ambushed his father with a multitude of questions.

He asked how they met and Rumple admitted that the circumstances of their meeting was not exactly love at first sight. Rumple told some of their stories, the good and the bad. When it came to the fateful kiss, he hesitated.

“I told her to get straw from town, believing that she would run and not look back. But then she did. And-“ Rumple paused and looked down at the floor. When he looked up again Neal was watching him expectantly.

“She kissed me. But I was scared and got angry and told her to leave.” Neal’s eyebrows shot up. Not just at the idea that Belle had kissed the Dark One/his father, but that Rumple was scared of it? What was he scared of? Losing his powers or the fact that someone might be able to love him?

“What happened to her?” Neal knew that something happened to Belle as she had not been around during the majority of Storybrooke’s curse.

“Regina came one day and told me that she was dead. She hadn’t, Regina had found her and locked her up. But I didn’t know that. And I spent the next thirty years or so believing she was dead.” Rumple gritted his teeth. He was still furious at what Regina had done. Neal could only imagine the pain he must have experienced, believing your true love to be dead, possibly due to your actions. Though he was still angry at Rumple for breaking their deal, Neal wouldn’t wish that anguish on anyone.

“Papa, when did you know you loved Belle?” Neal asked cautiously. Rumple gave a small smile.

“I’m not quite sure. I didn’t appreciate her enough while we were in the enchanted forest. And then I had nothing. But when she found me in the shop, I knew I never wanted to leave her again.” Neal nodded. That was all he needed to hear.

“I’m still angry about what happened, and I don’t think our relationship will be back to where we were before for a while, but I can see what you’re doing with Belle. You’re trying to be a better man for _her_.” Rumple’s eyes tear up a bit at his son’s statement.

“I want to better for both of you Bae.” He took a deep breath “I love Belle and I love you son.” Rumple finished softly.

“Don’t be getting all sappy on me now. Aren’t you supposed to be having a date soon?” Neal laughs. Rumple nods and bids his son goodbye before heading to his date with Belle. A small smile appears on Neal’s face. Sure, father and son had much to discuss and understand about the other. But this much Neal understood. Rumplestiltskin had finally found his true love.


	4. In which Belle and Rumple try cooking

_4\. In which Belle and Rumple try cooking_

Since their reunion, Belle and Rumple were determined to spend as much time as possible together, having been deprived of it for twenty-eight years. However the scathing eyes of the townspeople who deeply disapproved of the couple made it difficult to enjoy their relationship. More often than not they would stay in the shop or the house to avoid the gossipers and have some peace (provided that the Charmings didn’t batter down the door in the wake of their latest crisis). Thankfully, this gave Belle and Rumple the perfect opportunity to learn more about one another.

One such afternoon, when Belle was particularly engrossed by a novel, she was pulled out of her thoughts by the smell of basil and tomatoes. Curious as to its origin she wandered into the kitchen to find none other than Rumplestiltskin, the feared Dark One, cooking pasta. Belle leans on the counter and smiles softly.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Belle remarks, startling Rumple slightly.

“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Rumple sighs.

“When did you learn to cook?” Belle asks.

“Technically I never actually learnt. Mr. Gold did.” Rumple grins “I supposed out of the two of us one has to be able to cook. No offense darling, you’re not exactly the best.” Belle gapes at him and smacks his shoulder lightly.

“I am perfectly capable of cooking, thank you very much!” Belle protests.

“Really? I seem to recall you nearly burning the castle down on more than one occasion.” He laughs. While perhaps a little exaggerated, Belle had to admit, she was prone to setting fire to anything she cooked.

“In my defense, I grew up a princess and was never taught how to cook. Therefore I cannot be held responsible for my actions” Belle argued. “Care to teach me something?” Rumple handed her a wooden spoon and instructed her to keep the pasta moving until it was thoroughly cooked. After a few minutes the pasta was finished and Rumple took over to plate everything. While carrying the plates to the table he saw Belle smiling at him.   
“Something amusing dear?” He asked playfully.

“I must say I never imagined this in a million years.” Belle laughed and took his hand.

“Imagine what?” Rumple’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You cooking dinner for me. Us being together. Everything.” Belle reaches out to hold his hand. Rumple smiles back at her, wondering what exactly he did to deserve the beautiful woman in front of him. “I love you Rumplestiltskin. And I always will.” She finishes quietly.

“I love you too Belle. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but I could never regret falling in love with you.” Pulling him close, Belle kisses Rumple deeply. Whatever anyone might say or think, she was happy. They continued for what seemed like forever when Rumple pulled back, reminding her that the pasta would get cold soon.

“Hey Rumple is there anything else you learnt from Mr. Gold?” Belle smirks as she sits down. He gives her a mischievous smile and gave a noncommittal shrug.  

“Perhaps darling.” Rumple says. Belle knew then, at that moment, that this was it. Her happy ending was here, with Rumple in Storybrooke. And nothing or no one could take that away from her. Twenty-eight years was quite enough.


	5. In which Rumple tries not to fall asleep

_5\. In which Rumple tries not to fall asleep_

Rumple rubbed his eyes tiredly and let out a small yawn. He really was quite exhausted and would have liked nothing better than to get home and sleep but he had also promised to take Belle to dinner that night. He had almost dozed off in his chair when she stomped into the back room of the shop, giving him a jolt. The look on Belle’s face told him everything he needed to know.

“The Charmings?” He asked tentatively. Belle huffed and nodded. “You would think they could solve their own problems by this point. But why should they do that when they can come banging on our door whenever they need help?” Sensing she might implode with frustration, Rumple stood and pulled her into a hug. Belle was glad for it as she often felt the townspeople took herself and Rumple for granted, scathing them when they did wrong and begging for help when it suited them. She did want to help others, in fact she loved it. But not like this. 

“Would you like me to come with you?” Rumple asked, softly rubbing her back. She shook her head and pulled out of the hug, wiping her eyes for a moment. 

“No I’ll be fine. But when I come back we’ll go to Granny’s yes?” Belle asked while grabbing her bag. 

“Of course sweetheart,” Rumple quickly kisses her cheek, “I’ll be here, I need to find a book I’ve managed to misplace anyway.” She nodded and retreated out of the shop to help the heroes with their latest catastrophe. He didn’t really need to find anything, but he would rather she thought he had something to do than be alone in his shop. Sitting back down in his chair, Rumple let out a weary sigh. Perhaps one of these days the two of them could have five minutes to themselves without interruption. He flipped through some pages of a book for a few minutes before closing it and leaning back in his chair. It surely wouldn’t hurt to get a quick nap, he thought. Just ten minutes. Belle would be back soon anyway. It was soon after closing his eyes that he fell fast asleep. 

Unbelievable, Belle thought to herself as she rushed back to the shop. They call me frantically for help and when I get there? “Oh sorry Belle, we found the answer already in this book! We didn’t interrupt anything did we?” Oh it’s fine, I wasn’t doing anything, she had said. Maybe she should take a page from Rumple’s book and tell them exactly what she thought. Nearly taking the shop door off its hinges, she stepped in and took a deep breath. Tonight was for her and Rumple, not the Charmings. She refused to let other dictate her life. 

“Rumple?” She called out, striding towards the back room. After hearing nothing in return she opened up the curtain. Rumple was sound asleep in his chair. Belle smiled to herself. Granny’s could wait. Taking out a blanket from the cupboard, she draped it over him. She picked up his discarded book and sat down herself to read it. 

About an hour later, Rumple woke up with a yawn. After raking a hand through his hair he looked over to see Belle captivated by a book. 

“Hey,” He called quietly. Belle looked up and gave him a smile. “I’m sorry for falling asleep.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t really up for Granny’s after the Charmings anyway.” She sighs. 

“What happened?” He asks. 

“Oh the usual. Call me saying they have an emergency which has magically solved itself by the time I arrive.” Belle pauses, “Pun intended”. Rumple laughs a bit at her comment. Pulling the blanket off himself he stands and stretches like a cat. Belle gives him a look as much to say that’s what he gets for falling asleep in a chair.    
“Shall we go darling?” He asks, holding out a hand for her. Belle takes it graciously and stands up, leaving the book forgotten. She pulls him close and gives him a hug. He returns it warmly. 

“You know I love you right?” Rumple nods. “I love you too,” He replies. Belle kisses him deeply. Taking his hand, Belle leads him to the front of the shop. 

“I think we should go home and get some sleep. In a proper bed.” She added after he began to say he had slept. “Fair enough.” He admitted. 

Once in their own bed, Belle found herself dozing off more than Rumple. She placed a book that she had been reading down and shifted to face Rumple. His eyes were closed and he had begun to snore lightly. She curled up closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He looked so peaceful, she thought. The town may take any opportunity they could to exploit the couple for their own gain, but at this moment Belle couldn’t care less. She loved Rumplestiltskin. She recalled the first time they met. She promised him forever. And she couldn’t imagine anyone she would rather spend forever with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing as today is the anniversary of "Skin Deep" I figured I would put a little reference there at the end. Hope you enjoy!


	6. In which Belle and Rumple do not celebrate Valentine's Day

_6\. In which Belle and Rumple do not celebrate Valentine's Day_

Neither Rumple nor Belle quite understood the significance of Valentine’s Day. Back in the Enchanted Forest they did not have any celebrations similar to it. Despite this, Storybrooke seemed to have unanimously accepted the holiday. Even Maurice, Belle’s father, took full advantage of the holiday by selling roses for a tremendous profit. 

When it became clear that Rumple and Belle were planning to forget the holiday altogether, a swarm of people berated the couple on their terrible decision. Belle had Snow and Ruby breathing down her neck to convince her of the importance of the celebration.

“Look I appreciate your concern but I truly do not see the point of Valentine’s Day. We show each other we love each other every day, not just on February 14th.” Belle protested. Snow gaped at her and Ruby took in a sharp breath. 

“Yes but it’s Valentine’s Day! It’s special!” Ruby argued. 

“We didn’t even have the celebration in the Enchanted Forest, why should we have it now?” Belle sighed and shook her head.

“Well we have technically celebrated it twenty-eight times during the curse, so I guess it’s tradition?” Snow said. 

“I haven’t because I was in an asylum for those twenty-eight years.” Belle deadpanned. Snow and Ruby looked guiltily at each other quickly realizing their mistake and backed off from the topic. 

Rumple wasn’t much better off than Belle. Neal was hounding him to do something for her, even roping Henry in to defend his point. 

“Papa you can’t just forget about it. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.” Neal reasoned. 

“I can and I will just forget about it. It’s just a stupid holiday, it’s not important!” Rumple said. 

“But Mary Margaret and David are celebrating! They’re from the Enchanted Forest as well but they don’t think it’s stupid!” Henry chimed in. 

“Exactly Henry! Also don’t say stupid kid.” Rumple rolled his eyes. The entire holiday was ridiculous and more trouble than it was worth in his opinion. When he and Belle returned home on the eve of the fateful day, they both felt worn out and frustrated with the wretched Valentine’s Day. After making an offhand comment about wishing people would stop trying to force them to celebrate, a light bulb went off in Belle’s mind. She explained her plan to Rumple, who happily agreed to play his part. If all went accordingly, the couple could avoid the holiday and no one would argue with them either. 

On February 14th, the couple set their devious plan into motion. Standing in front of Granny’s, both Rumple and Belle played their parts to perfection. Throwing insults and abuse at one another, they made quite the scene. 

“You’re ridiculous!” Belle shouted. 

“Well you’re crazy!” Rumple responded. 

“I can’t believe you right now! How could you?!” Belle cried. 

“Maybe if you weren’t breathing down my neck all the time I wouldn’t have!” Rumple said bitterly. 

“Ugh you’re the worst Rumplestiltskin! Get out of my sight!” Belle groaned. 

“Fine!” He stomped away. Belle flung her hair over her shoulder dramatically and strutted away in the opposite direction. The patrons of the restaurant had eagerly watched the drama unfold and gossip quickly spread of the couple’s fight. No one dared approach either party lest they wish to face their wrath. 

Once the crowd had dispersed and the coast was clear, Belle snuck into the shop and found Rumple waiting with a cheeky grin on his face. She quickly enveloped him in a hug and kissed his cheek.    
“Sorry for what I said. It wasn’t too harsh was it?” Rumple shook his head.

“Hardly. You could have said much worse than what you did. Great performance by the way.” He complimented. 

“At least everyone will leave us alone now.” Belle giggled and took a deep breath. “Though I suspect we won’t be getting many visitors for a while.” Rumple looked indifferent. “That’s perfectly fine by me.” Rumple said quietly. The couple kissed and enjoyed the peace of just being together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little Valentine's Day thing I thought of. Personally I never figured Belle or Rumple to be the couple that celebrates it so here you go! Hope you enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day if you're celebrating!


	7. In which Neal gives Rumple dating advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little spin on the "Lacey" episode. Hope you enjoy!

_7\. In which Neal gives Rumple dating advice_

She’ll pay for this, Rumple thought to himself as he stalked angrily from Regina’s house. Not only had that damned pirate shot Belle and caused her to lose her memories, now Regina gave her false ones. Returning to his shop he threw the door open and slammed it shut. He picked up the first thing he saw and threw it with great force against the wall. He gripped the counter until his knuckles went white with tension. He was unaware of the shop door opening, realizing only when the intruder placed a hand on his shoulder. Startled, Rumple jolted slightly and turned to face the person. Neal looked back at him with worry on his face.

“What are you doing here Bae?” Rumple asked wearily.

“Stopping you from destroying your shop apparently.” Neal answered. Rumple muttered that he was fine and began to walk to the back room. “Papa what’s up?” He called. Rumple stopped and turned back towards his son.

“It’s nothing son.” He lied.

“Nothing really? So you chucked that book at the wall for fun?” Neal countered. “You promised you’d be honest with me Papa. Please.” Rumple sighed. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, no words coming out.

“I… It’s Belle.” He whispered.

“What about her?” Neal asked.

“Regina jogged her memory,” Rumple began. Neal looked confused. “That’s good isn’t it?” Rumple shook his head.

“Her cursed memories. She now thinks she’s a scantily clad barfly named Lacey.” He finished. Neal stared at his father for a moment, processing the information. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a low whistle.

“Damn, that’s rough. What are you going to do?” Neal asked. “Please don’t say kill Regina.” He added hastily. His father shrugged his shoulders and looked completely lost.

“I’ve no idea what to do. I can’t take back the memories, she’s stuck with them.” He said. “Belle’s gone.”

Neal looked at his father. He had never seen him look so utterly broken and hopeless. They had to do something.

“Where is Belle now?” Neal prompted.

“The Rabbit Hole. It’s a bar.” Rumple responded. Neal nodded and began to pull his father through the front door.

“Bae what are you doing?” He asked.

“Going to see Belle. If anyone can get her back to herself, it’s you.” Neal said.

“It’s pointless. I already went to see her.” Rumple protested. “She barely even looked at me.”

“Look Papa, if she can fall in love with you as the Dark One, she can do the same again. You’ve just got to show her the guy she fell in love with.” Neal argued. “Come on, let’s go.” He pulled Rumple through the door and began walking down to the Rabbit Hole. Rumple tried protesting the whole way, but Neal carried on. Besides him, Belle was the only one who Rumple truly cared for. He and his father had a lot of history but Neal would be damned if he let his father lose his true love.

When they entered the bar, Rumple spotted Belle, or rather Lacey, right away. The Sheriff of Nottingham was talking to her, or talking at her. She didn’t seem to be terribly interested in him. He swaggered away from her after a few moments. Neal clapped Rumple on the shoulder.

“There’s your chance Romeo.” Neal walked towards her and sat a few seats away. Rumple shyly went up to Lacey and sat near her. He glanced at Neal, who motioned for him to talk to her.

“Mr. Gold, you’re back.” She said.

“As are you.” He replied.

“What can I say? Love the ambiance.” She laughed. A change in music caught her attention.

“What the bloody hell is that? Let’s some Panama going in here.” Lacey looked at him inquisitively, “You like Van Halen? You’re a Hagar man, aren’t you?” She sat up and went over to change the station. Neal looked at his father incredulously.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked.

“We have nothing in common!” Rumple responded. Neal rubbed his face with his hand.

“Jesus, it’s a wonder I was even born. Have you ever even flirted before?” Neal groaned. Rumple looked confused. “Look just find a way in. Ask her out!” Rumple looked uncomfortable and out of his depth but nonetheless stood up and walked towards Lacey. He called her name and she turned to face him.

“Well, now that you’re, uh, back to your old self, perhaps we could spend some time together?” He asked.

“Like a date?” Lacey raised her eyebrows at him. Rumple swallowed hard.

“Yes, a date.” He replied.

“You do know I’m not this Belle you’re always talking about?” She said.

“Yes, of course.” He nodded.

“I’ve heard about you.” Belle paused. “People in town, they’re afraid of you.”

“Don’t let that deter you. Just give me a chance, please.” He said.

“Okay. Tonight. Granny’s. 8:00.” She agreed before leaving. Neal smirked from the bar and hopped over to his father.

“Not bad Papa. Still got some moves, eh?” He laughed. “Let’s get you ready for that date huh?”

Thirty minutes before Rumple’s date Neal was trying his best to help his father prepare. It was going interestingly, to say the least.

“Don’t be nervous. She’ll know if you are. Not a great impression, believe me.” Neal told his father. Rumple rolled his eyes.

“This is useless. Why did I even agree to ask her for a date?” Rumple whined.

“Because you want to help Belle get back to normal, don’t you?” Neal asked. Rumple nodded. “It’s not like you’ve never done this before, right?” Rumple looked away quickly and began fiddling with some object.

“You’re kidding me. You’ve never been on a date before? How? I’m here aren’t I?” Neal said. “Look I realize you and Mom weren’t always on the best terms but you must have been at some point right?” Rumple shrugged.

“Neither of us had much other choice of spouse because of our families.” He admitted. Neal let out a deep breath. “Okay then. How did you and Belle get together?”

“We never really went on a date. After the curse broke, we sort of just got in a relationship.” Neal let his head hit the counter. Rumple winced and felt worse than before. What was he thinking? This was all going to blow up in his face, there’s no way Lacey would like him. He didn’t even truly know why Belle liked him.

“How’s this Papa? I’ll come to Granny’s and sit at the counter. If it starts going south, I’ll pull you out.” Neal promised. “But for god’s sake try your best, will you? Belle’s counting on it.” Neal smiled. Rumple gave a small smile back and agreed to the deal.

Upon their arrival to Granny’s Rumple slid into a booth and Neal sat at the counter where he could keep an eye on him. Lacey came in a few minutes later and sat down with his father. He mentally slapped himself when he saw Rumple fumbling with the menu like a fifteen year old boy talking to a girl for the first time. Fortunately he seemed to have recovered as he saw the two of them smiling at each other. Neal sat back and was feeling pretty proud of his wing man skills. Until he heard Rumple accidentally knock over a glass which covered Lacey in iced tea. Neal groaned to himself. How in the hell was the Dark One suck a dork when it came to Belle? Lacey slid out of the booth and patted Rumple on the shoulder before heading to the bathroom. Neal hopped out of his seat and walked over to him.

“How’s it going?” Neal asked. Rumple smiled.

“Well, I think. Though I just knocked my glass over her.” He said.

“Keep up the good work tiger.” Neal laughed and returned to his seat. A few minutes later Lacey returned and the rest of their date seemed to go well. Neal watched at the couple went out of the front door and talked to each other outside.

“Thank you Mr. Gold. That was very nice.” Lacey complimented.

“Yeah it was nice. Thank you for coming.” Rumple replied. The two stood awkwardly for a moment, neither one knowing how to proceed.

“I should probably get back home.” Lacey said.

“Of course. Have a good night Lacey.” He moved to go back inside.

“Uh, wait.” She paused. Rumple stopped and looked back at her. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight.” She blushed slightly and walked away. Rumple put a hand to his cheek where she had kissed him and smiled to himself. Having witnessed the interaction, Neal came out of the restaurant and grinned at his father.

“Seems like it worked out well huh?” Neal congratulated. It certainly had, Rumple thought. The two parted ways and Rumple returned to his shop, thinking of his date with Lacey. He hadn’t had the chance to meet Belle this way the first time around. Perhaps this could help the both of them. If Rumple could earn Lacey’s love, Belle could get her memories back. In return, he could become a better man. It was going to take some work, but he knew he would do anything to help her come back to herself. Rumple went to the back room of his shop and pulled out their chipped teacup. He ran his thumb over the chip. The only thing he truly cherished. At that moment, he vowed to Belle he would bring her back. After all, how could he not? They were true love. And they would always find each other.


	8. In which Belle and Rumple babysit Henry

_8\. In which Belle and Rumple babysit Henry_

Finally! Neal grinned like an idiot. Emma agreed to go on a date with him! Although she would probably describe it as just dinner. It didn’t matter what they called it, Neal was over the moon to have the chance to talk with Emma without threat of impending doom.

Neal practically skipped over to his father’s shop to tell him the good news. His father was well aware of Neal’s feelings for Emma and would be glad that the two were talking again.

“Hey Papa! Guess what?” Neal greeted as he entered the shop. Rumple and Belle were stood at the counter and were flipping through some records.

“I’m going on a date with Emma!” He announced, waving his arms about for effect.

“That’s wonderful!” Belle gasped and dropped the cards she had been holding, a huge smile appearing on her face. Rumple smiled softly and congratulated him as well. Belle began to ask him all sorts of questions on what he would wear, if he was going to give Emma flowers, where they would go, and so on. Neal felt his nerves rise. He hadn’t thought about any of that. He had figured they would eat at Granny’s and that would be enough. Would Emma want flowers? She didn’t seem to be the type of person who really wanted them. Neal settled for rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging his shoulders in response to Belle’s questions.

“Uh, I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about all that.” He admitted. Belle smiled sweetly and glanced at Rumple, who had decidedly checked out of the conversation. Dating was not his strong suit, despite being Belle’s boyfriend.

“The two of you, I swear.” Belle laughed. “I’ll admit I don’t know Emma well but I would expect that if she agreed to go on a date she wants it to go well. Just try your best!” She suggested. Neal was admittedly more confused about this date than when he came in.

“Who’s looking after Henry?” Rumple asked suddenly. Damn. He hadn’t thought about that. David and Mary Margaret were volunteering at some charity tonight so they couldn’t look after Henry. Maybe Henry could stay home on his own? Or…

“Nobody right now. David and Mary Margaret are busy and obviously Emma and I will be gone. Do you, uh,” Neal paused. “Maybe you could have him?” Rumple looked slightly shocked. He was just worried for who might look after Henry. He hadn’t expected Neal to willingly ask if he wanted to care for him.

“You want us to look after Henry?” Rumple asked.

“Yeah, I mean, Henry likes you. He’s an easy kid, just give him some pizza and video games, he’ll love you forever.” Neal joked.

“I think that’s a great idea! Right Rumple?” Belle said enthusiastically, giving Rumple a look as to say if he disagreed he was spending the next week sleeping on the couch. Rumple nodded his approval.

“Awesome! I’ll bring Henry around about 6:00.” Neal thanked them and left to get ready for his date.

Six o’clock came and Neal and Henry walked up the stairs to his father’s house. They knocked at the door and were greeted by Belle who was impressed at Neal’s ability to clean up for his date.

“Nice touch.” She smiled when she saw a pink rose in Neal’s hand. “Yeah I figured you can’t go wrong with roses.” Henry looked at his dad indignantly.

“Hey I was the one who told you to get her the rose!” He protested. Neal ruffled Henry’s hair. “Fine, the kid told me to get her one. Where’s Papa?” He asked.

“Just in the kitchen, he’s doing Henry a pizza.” Henry’s eyes lit up at the word ‘pizza’ and abandoned his dad in favor of the deliciously cheesy food.

“Told you he’d go nuts over pizza.” Neal laughed. They followed into the kitchen where they found Rumple restraining Henry from eating pizza which had only just come out of the oven.

“You’ll burn yourself Henry! I think you can wait five minutes for it to cool down.” He laughed. Henry groaned and sat down at the kitchen counter, eagerly awaiting his dinner. “Ready for the date?” Rumple asked Neal.

“I hope so. If not you’ll know because David will have kicked my ass for messing it up.” Neal laughed nervously.

“You’ll be fine Dad! Mom’s been talking about your date. I think she’s nervous too.” Henry said wisely.

“It’ll be fine Bae.” Rumple reassured his son. Neal nodded and felt a bit better. It’s just a date. How bad could it be? They’ve been on dates before. Kinda. Not really. Oh well, there’s a first time for everything.

“Are you all good to go Henry?” Neal asked. Henry nodded enthusiastically. Neal gave him a quick hug and said goodbye before leaving. Rumple, Belle, and Henry stayed quiet for a while after he left. That was, of course, until Henry reminded Rumple that five minutes had passed for his pizza, which he then happily wolfed down.

“So Henry what would you like to do?” Belle asked. Henry suggested watching a movie, in particular one of the Star Wars movies. Rumple found a DVD of the movie and put it on, much to Henry’s delight. However it wasn’t long before Henry became disinterested with it and more interested in Rumple and Belle.

“Are you two like David and Mary Margaret?” Henry asked.

“What do you mean?” Rumple replied.

“True love! That’s what it says in my book.” Henry explained. Belle and Rumple shared a look.

“I guess so.” Belle laughs lightly. Rumple and Belle had never been ones much for labeling their relationship.

“Then how come you’re not married yet?” Henry deadpans. Rumple choked on thin air. He had thought about it, of course, but the two had never discussed it and he didn’t want to throw a proposal at Belle if she wasn’t ready. Similarly, Belle felt her cheeks heat up and gave a nervous giggle.

“Uh, I supposed we just haven’t talked out that yet. Not everyone gets married Henry.” She said. Henry nods and returns his focus to the movie. Neither Rumple nor Belle could fully relax for the remainder of it. Belle had never been sure about marriage. She was arranged to marry Gaston and became disinterested with the idea ever since. She loved Rumple with all her heart, she couldn’t imagine not being with him. She constantly flipped back and forth between thinking marriage is really not necessary, so long as you’re with the person you love, and wanting to marry Rumple. She also knew that Rumple had been married before and that it had ended poorly. Perhaps that was why he feared asking Belle to marry him. If Belle were to leave as Milah had, he would be devastated. So Belle avoided the topic to the best of her ability, comfortable with their relationship as it stood.

Just as the credits roll a knock at the door alerts the couple to Neal’s return. Henry badgers him for details of his parent’s date and Neal reminds him that it is way past his curfew but promises to tell him another time.

“Hey Papa thanks for looking after Henry.” Neal says.

“It’s no problem, Henry’s a good kid.” Rumple replies. Neal smiles and wishes him and Belle a goodnight. A few hours later when they are in bed, Belle reminds him of Henry’s comment.

“Henry’s funny, isn’t he?” Belle prompts. Rumple nods silently. “Not to say I wouldn’t want to get married of course!” She adds quickly. “Obviously that would be great. But I’m fine as we are now, if you are.” She pauses. “Are you?”

Rumple takes a deep breath and turns over to face Belle. He studies her for a moment. She is absolutely beautiful, he thinks. He could never comprehend why she would ever want to be with him, but time and time again she stubbornly proved that she would stay. Maybe Henry was right.

“I love you Belle. So much.” He begins. She smiles at him. “I will do anything you ask me to do.”

“So if I were to ask you if you wanted to get married, what would you say?” She asks.

“I’d say I would be honored to be your husband, if you so wish.” He says softly. Belle pulls him close and kisses him lightly.

“Rumple, will you marry me?” She asks. Rumple nods and smiles widely.

“Of course,” He kisses her deeply. “My darling Belle.” The couple eventually fall asleep, curled together and utterly in love.

 

_Bonus!_

“So did you ask them?” Neal asks Henry as they walk home.

“Yep!” Henry replies cheerfully. “You should’ve seen their faces!”

“Great job kid. Those two really needed a shove in the right direction.” Neal laughs. “With any luck they’ll be engaged by dawn.”

“Can I be the best man?” Henry says.

“Hell no, if anyone’s going to be the best man, it’s me.” Henry’s face falls slightly. Neal ruffles his son’s hair. “Don’t worry kid, you can be the ring bearer.”


	9. In which Belle and Rumple get a pet

_9\. In which Belle and Rumple get a pet_

Belle had broached the topic of a new addition to their family with Rumple a few times but he wasn’t entirely sure of the idea. She was particularly fond of getting a puppy or a kitten. Rumple didn’t dislike cats though he much preferred dogs. But a puppy? Puppies are a hell of a lot of work.

“I thought you said you liked sheepdogs? We could get a collie!” Belle said enthusiastically.

“Collies are great dogs but they’re too smart for their own good. They’re a lot of work.” Rumple replied.

“Fine. What about a terrier?” She suggested.

“Really want to get woken up at the crack of dawn because the damn thing saw a squirrel?” He scoffed. Belle rolled her eyes.

“How about a dalmatian? Pongo is nice, isn’t he?” She said.

“I’m not getting the same dog as Hopper.” He said firmly.

“Husky? German Shepherd?” She asked.

“Yeah and have a layer of hair on everything? No thank you.” He replied.

“What dogs do you like then?” She asked exasperated. He shrugged.

“I like all dogs, it’s just a matter of what kind I want living in my house.” He said.

The idea of adding a dog to their family seemed to be getting nowhere. No matter how many pictures or books Belle tried to show him, Rumple simply couldn’t find anything that peaked his interest.

A few days passed and the conversation had faded from both Belle and Rumple’s minds. They both understood that puppies were a lot of work and something that needed to be considered carefully, not jumped into.

Late one evening Rumple was preparing to return home and had walked out to his car when he heard a faint whimpering. It seemed to come from the alley by his shop. He cautiously walked towards the sound, knowing that Storybrooke had its fair share of weird and wonderful creatures that could do all sorts of things with the help of the town’s magic. A pile of blankets obscured his view of the animal, but still he stepped closer. He crouched down and carefully pulled them away to reveal two big, beautiful brown eyes looking back at him. The eyes belonged to a medium-sized grey dog who looked quite happy to see someone. It wagged its tail and wiggled a bit in excitement. Rumple slowly moved his hand to pet the dog, who licked his fingers when he did.

“Who left you here, huh?” He said softly. The dog didn’t wear a collar and Rumple had never seen it around before. Perhaps he should find out whether it is a girl or a boy rather than calling the dog an ‘it’, he thought to himself. He got the dog to roll over onto its belly to reveal that it was a she. She was a pretty dog and very sweet, how could someone abandon her? Rumple checked her over to make sure she wasn’t injured and was thankful to find that she was in good health. Her stomach rumbled and he realized she must be hungry. He stood and patted his leg.

“Come on girl. Come here.” He called. She got to her feet and followed him into his shop, tail wagging the entire time. While it wasn’t exactly dog food, Rumple had some biscuits that she was sure to enjoy.

“Can you sit?” He asked while holding a biscuit for the dog. She sat down and never took her eyes off the biscuits. He laughed quietly and gave it to her. She ate a few more, happily wolfing them down. She plopped down at his feet when she was done and smiled up at him, tongue lolling out of her mouth. He reached down and petted her for a while. She sure was a great dog.

The ring of his bell alerted him to someone’s arrival into the shop. The dog’s head picked up, curious to see who was coming.

“Stay here, okay? Good girl.” He patted her head. He walked out to find it was Belle who had come in.

“You okay? You never came by the library and I was worried.” She asked.

“I’m fine. I just got caught up with something.” He said vaguely.

“Caught up with what?” She asked. Before he had the chance to answer a loud crash came from the backroom. Belle looked confused for a moment and made her way into the backroom. Rumple cringed. After he had specifically said he didn’t want to get a dog, he went out and brought one home. This was sure to go well.

Rumple followed Belle to the back to find the crash had been made by the dog attempting to grab the biscuit bag from the table. She sat on the floor and looked innocent enough, despite the pile of biscuits that now surrounded her.

“Uh, Rumple? What is this?” Belle asked. He laughed nervously and went to pick up the biscuits.

“I, uh, well. The thing is that,” He stumbled over his words. “I was just outside and I heard a noise so I went to look. Then I found her.” He motioned to the dog, who was sat next to his leg and looking up at him like he was the best thing in the world.

“She was all alone?” Belle said. Rumple nodded. “Poor thing.” She walked over and patted the dog. The dog wiggled and wagged her tail.

“Do you think we should take her to David? Maybe he could help find her owners?” She suggested. Rumple didn’t really want to find her owners, if she had any. They surely couldn’t care for her if she was left alone in an alley. Nonetheless he shrugged and agreed to see David the next day.

In the meantime, Belle and Rumple took the dog back to their home to clean her up and give her a good night’s rest. She ran inside the house and threw herself onto the couch as if she had always lived there. They led her up to the bathroom for a bath, for which the dog seemed very grateful. Once she was sparkling clean and dry, the dog jumped up onto their bed and settled down. Normally Rumple would be less than pleased with a dog in his bed, but he found that he didn’t mind as much with this one. The couple climbed into bed themselves and the dog sandwiched herself between the two. They laughed at how comfortable she was and eventually all three fell asleep peacefully.

The following morning Rumple called David to ask what should be done about the dog, seeing as he was both the Sheriff and previously worked at the shelter during the curse.

“She seems to be alright. No injuries, no fleas.” David said while inspecting the dog. “No collar though. Or microchip.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I think she was probably just dropped off somewhere.”

“Who would do that?” Belle asked sadly.

“Unfortunately pitbulls get a bad reputation. They’re some of the most common breeds found in shelters.” David explained. “They can actually be some of the best dogs you’ll ever have. They’re loyal and sweet and very affectionate.” David laughed as the dog jumped to lick his face.

“What should we do with her?” Rumple asked.

“Well I could always take her to the shelter. Wait to see if anyone comes for her.” He began. “Or you guys could take her in? Doesn’t have to be permanent if you don’t want, you could foster her until we can find the owners or an adopter.”

Rumple looked at the dog, currently on her back being petted by David. He might not be keen on puppies, but he quite liked her. He didn’t want for her to go to a shelter where she had to wait for someone to want her.

“Could we adopt her? If no owners appear, that is?” Rumple asked.

“Yeah, I think that would be great! She’s a real sweetheart, you’ll love her.” David said. Eventually he left with the promise that if nobody claims her in two weeks time they can adopt her properly. Both Rumple and Belle were sat down on the floor with the dog and playing with her when they decided she should have a name.

“Can’t keep calling her the dog.” Belle laughed. They ran through a list of names to see if any interested the dog. They tried Molly, Zoe, Luna, Pepper, but she didn’t respond to any.

“How about Sophie?” Rumple said. The dog perked up and looked at him inquisitively.

“Sophie?” Belle repeated. The dog bounced all around and barked excitedly.

“Sophie it is.” Rumple said.

The three made quite an unconventional family. The Dark One, a noblewoman turned librarian, and a pitbull. It didn’t matter. Sophie couldn’t be more pleased with her new family and Belle and Rumple were excited to have a new member of their family. An unconventional family? Perhaps. A devoted, caring family? Absolutely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't obvious, pitbulls are some of my favorite dogs and don't deserve their bad reputation. I'll just take this opportunity to ask that if you would like a dog, look into adopting and especially adopting an adult/senior dog. Also if you haven't seen the Pixar SparkShorts film Kitbull, I would recommend watching it (and grabbing some tissues)! Lastly, I want to thank everyone who comments and leaves kudos! It truly means the world to me, I always smile when I read the comments.


End file.
